Holmes: Quest for truth is more important than ‘balance’Journalism shouldn’t just be about reporting what two opposite sides think about a topic. That doesn’t make a journalist “balanced” and it doesn’t give the reader enough information, writes Jonathan Holmes.
Resources Super Profits Tax
Part 2: How profitable is mining?
Possum Comitatus continues his exploration of mining industry and its profits. Apparently only 51% of mining companies were profitable in 2008-09, the lowest of all industry.
How profitable is mining?
In light of the RSPT, Possum Comitatus takes a look at the mining industry. Mining makes up 1.3% of all jobs in the economy and has the highest profit margin of any industry.
Don’t let the facts get in the way
There’s further outrage as the government refuses to meet a major Australian manufacturer over the impact of the RSPT… or maybe not. The Oz is certainly in a tizz.
Westpoll: 62-38 to federal Coalition in WA
The latest Westpoll has Labor’s primary vote at just 26%, compared with the 36.8% that won them four state seats in 2007 and 43% of voters say the mining tax will strongly influence their vote, reports William Bowe.
Is it not true that the minerals are owned by the people of the State?
Australia’s not the only country fretting over how a country’s resources should be taxed, with questions being raised in India about how much mining companies should pay when mining in areas of immense poverty, writes Shakira Hussein.
RSPT rumour file
Here we go again — more rumours that the government is about to cave-in on the RSPT. Too bad they’re not true.
The Twiggy that broke Rudd’s
back
If Kevin Rudd can actually win the RSPT debate and put it in place, it could transform him from a NSW Labor-style hack into a genuine reformist leader. The alternative is the political equivalent of living death.
Crikey Says: People, rise up! For if not you, then who will think of the billionaires?
Sure, “Axe the Tax” has a certain ring to it, but what the miners really needed was a protest anthem.
Won’t someone think of the billionaires?
Daily Media Wrap: Kevin Rudd was faced yesterday with 2000 RSPT protesters, led by billionaire miners Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and Gina Rinehart. Was commie Rudd scared into submission?
Costello: Treasury should butt out of tax policy
The business community are usually lazy supporters of the Liberal Party. But the RSPT has got them incensed to now fight Labor and save the Australian economy, claims Peter Costello.
If Rudd’s a slave to opinion polls, then surely he’ll back down on RSPT
Recent polls indicate that if an election were held now Labor would be swept from office. If politics is like a giant game of rock, paper, scissors, to Kevin Rudd, opinion polls will always beat paper and rock.
Savva: How Abbott can win
Tony Abbott needs to drop the “miners are paying enough tax” line. If he wants to prove his PM credentials, he should broker an agreement with the miners, writes Niki Savva.
What’s Kevin to do?
Daily Media Wrap: It’s been another week of bad polls for Kevin Rudd. His personal popularity is down, his policies are unpopular and the Greens popularity is on the rise.
Poll Bludger’s Election 2010 preview, Part 1: WA — the state of excitement!
Will history prove again that Western Australia is a problem for the ALP? Get your wonk on in this, the first in a preview series from Poll Bludger’s William Bowe on the upcoming Federal election…
Four Corners saving the RSPT 1 million viewers at a time
It is now clear the government made a major blunder not releasing the entire Henry Report in February and allowing a major sweeping debate on tax reform to unfold before it unveiled the RSPT.
Essential: Rise and rise of the Greens
Labor is leaking voters to the Greens, torn between progressive voters who want the party to move to the Left, and voters who don’t understand the asylum seeker issue.
Abbott’s illicit love affair with miners
Tony Abbott’s actions of late — siding with unpopular Labor premiers on health, agreeing with the mining bigwigs — are risky. It exposes the Coalition to the same mishaps Rudd’s encountered.
Shanahan: Digging Rudd out of his hole
A special mining tax Newspoll finds ALP voters in marginal seats in mining areas of QLD and WA turning away from Rudd. The RSPT may cost Rudd the election, says Dennis Shanahan.
Milne: Rudd has wedged himself on fossil fuel subsidies
One thing Kevin Rudd probably wants even less right now is to open up a new front in the battle with the cashed-up miners, writes Australian Greens deputy leader Christine Milne.
Truth suffers in the RSPT war
Many mining companies may be inefficient and poorly managed, however, unlike banking it is not a sector that generally relies on substantial government assistance.
Don’t feel sorry for Xstrata
It’s a disaster in central Queensland as Xstrata shuts down projects in response to the RSPT. Except, Xstrata is ramping up its investment in coal up there — and has pulled this stunt before.
Shanahan: The five problems niggling Rudd’s election itch
Rudd has five major issues threatening his re-election chances: asylum seekers, the insulation program, wastage in the BER, the mining tax and himself, writes Dennis Shanahan.
Rudd fights the mining bigwigs: who’ll win?
Daily Media Wrap: The mining tax has become a sore spot for Kevin Rudd. Should he stop the whinging and start negotiating, or stand strong against the miners?
